The subject of this article is Cheltenham Gold Cup betting. The race is the most prestigious steeplechase in the sport and well in advance of the race there is plenty of Cheltenham Gold Cup 2019 betting. The article will cover Cheltenham Gold Cup history and the Gold Cup runners and riders. As the race approaches bookies and sportsbooks promote Cheltenham Gold Cup betting offers. The race has a long history and it the first horse race called the Cheltenham Gold Cup took place in August 1819. The Cheltenham Gold Cup race was first staged over jumps in March 1924 and it is now the Blue Riband of the sport.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the pinnacle of chasing and the championship race of the sport. The race distance is three miles, two and a half furlongs and there are 22 fences to be jumped. The race is the highlight of the Cheltenham Festival which is the biggest betting meeting of the season. The Festival takes place over four days in March and features championship races over hurdles and fences and a variety of distances. There are also competitive handicaps and a cross country race.
Racing takes place on the Old Course on the first two days and the New Course on the second two days. The Cheltenham Gold Cup date is in the third week in March on the Friday of the Festival. Ante post Gold Cup betting is available for almost one year and soon after the previous year’s race. Horses running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup are the elite of chasing from Britain and Ireland and sometimes France.
The Cheltenham Festival dominates National Hunt racing like no other event in any sport. About one third of the Grade 1 races run during the jumps season take place at the Cheltenham Festival. Jumps racing is a 12 months sport and the season run from April to April. The core season is from October to April and the two major meetings are the Cheltenham Festival in March and Grand National meeting at Aintree in April. The meetings are usually three weeks part so in theory horses running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup can run at Aintree in the same season.
The Grand National is a handicap so horses are allocated a weight based on past form. Cheltenham Gold Cup horses carry the same weight which means the best horse on the day wins the race. The horse with the best chance of winning the race must have stamina and be a good jumper. After jumping the final fence horses face an uphill run-in to the finishing line. The complexion of the race can change after horses clear the final obstacle and race on the flat. Horses must get every inch of the trip to have a chance of becoming part of Cheltenham Gold Cup history.
There are seven races on all four days of the Cheltenham Festival. The first race takes place at 1.30pm and the final race is run at 5.30pm. The answer to the question: when is the Cheltenham Gold Cup run is 3.30pm on the fourth and final day of the meeting in March. The Cheltenham Gold Cup 2019 will be held at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire. The track is just a five minutes drive from the town centre and the journey takes about 30 minutes by foot. The Cheltenham Gold Cup date and Gold Cup race time rarely changes and that is part of Cheltenham Gold Cup history.
Betting turnover is huge for racing at the Cheltenham Festival. In a list of the 20 biggest turnover races during the season about 10 of those races take place at the Festival where the biggest betting race by far is the Cheltenham Gold Cup. During the Festival bookmakers try to attract new customers and maintain the loyalty of existing customers with offers and some of those apply to the Gold Cup. The meeting is covered live on television and gets extensive coverage in the racing and national Press. The level of interest makes it the biggest week of the year for Cheltenham Gold Cup betting offers. Here are some of the most popular OFFERS:
Ante post 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup betting began soon after the race took place in 2018. Betting months ahead of the race is fraught with danger because if a horse is withdrawn bets are lost and the stakes are not returned. To encourage Gold Cup betting in advance of the race bookmakers offer non runner/no bet. If a horse is withdrawn up to the day before the race it counts as a non runner. Any bets placed on withdrawn horses are void and customers get the stake refunded.
Some bookmakers offer enhanced odds for a selection of horses running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. This offer does not apply to the whole field but it might be valid for the favourite or one of the leading contenders. A horse that is 2/1 in Cheltenham Gold betting may be on offer at 5/2. However, stakes might be limited and the enhanced odds count for new customers only. Enhanced odds ahead of Cheltenham Gold Cup race time are advertised on television and in the Press.
The Gold Cup is not a handicap which means in Gold Cup betting each way bets are settled at one fifth the odds for the first three places. So if a horse is 20/1 in Gold Cup betting the place odds are 4/1 and three horses count. Some bookmakers encourage Cheltenham Gold Cup 2019 betting by offering an extra place. Each way bets are valid for horse running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup who finish in the first four places. Extra places is one of the better Cheltenham Gold Cup betting offers.
Another popular Cheltenham betting bookie offer is money back if the backed horse finishes second behind the Starting Price favourite. This offer applies to all races at the meeting or specific races like the Gold Cup. However, the refund is not unlimited and might apply for stakes up to £25. It is a good insurance if the backed horse runs a good race at Gold Cup race time but is beaten by the favourite. This money back guarantee often does not apply for bets placed in ante post Gold Cup betting.
The offers described above are good incentives to place bets on all the races at the meeting and the Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup. During Festival week there will be a number of offers related to horses running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. These offers enhance the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting experience. The promotions will be advertised in the Press and other media and will be an important element of Gold Cup betting. The offers will involve a selection of Gold Cup runners and riders.
Due to the prestigious nature of the race all the online bookies offer Cheltenham Gold Cup 2019 betting so when placing a bet on the race you must decide which bookmaker to use. All the major bookies have welcome offers for new customers which means you might open an account or use an existing account for your Gold Cup betting. Here are some guidelines to help you choose a bookmaker for Gold Cup betting:
All bookmakers allow each way betting on the Cheltenham Gold Cup. An each way bet has two elements: horse to win the race and horse to be placed or finish in the frame. Each way bets are settled in line with industry standards.
Betting turnover on the race is huge but the exact number of bets is not known. However, the Grand National is the only jumps race that generates more turnover than Gold Cup betting. Here are some historical facts that can help you in your analysis of the horse running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup:
Most successful horse: Golden Miller (5 wins from 1932 to 1936).
Leading jockey: Pat Taaffe (4 wins from 1964 to 1968).
Leading trainer: Tom Dreaper (5 wins from 1946 to 1968).
Leading owner: Dorothy Paget (7 wins from 1932 to 1952).
Since 2000 Best Mate (3 times) and Kauto Star (twice) are the only multiple winners. Jim Culloty, Ruby Walsh and Barry Geraghty have ridden more than one winner in that spell. Henrietta Knight, Paul Nicholls and Nicky Hendesron have trained the winner more than once over the last 17 years. Since the start of the century eight outright favourites in Gold Cup betting have won the race. The average price of the winner over the last 10 years is about 6/1 in a range from 5/4 to 20/1.
Here is the result of the race in 2018 with the horses’ starting prices in Cheltenham Gold Cup betting:
The winner was ridden by Richard Johnson and trained by Colin Tizzard. There were 15 runners and nine completed the course. The first two horses are prominent in Cheltenham Gold Cup 2019 betting. Here are the Gold Cup betting odds in December 2018 which are subject to fluctuation:
| Presenting Percy 9/2 |
| Native River 5/1 |
| Might Bite 9/1 |
| Road to Respect 12/1 |
| Sizing John 16/1 |
| Bristol De Mai 16/1 |
| Footpad 20/1 |
| Bellshill 20/1 |
| Thistlecrack 20/1 |
| Shattered Love 25/1 |
| Others 28/1+ |
TIP: Might Bite at 9/1
EACH WAY: Thistlecrack at 20/1 (fifth odds, three places).
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a famous race and it is contested by the best staying chasers in the sport. The race is huge for betting and Cheltenham Gold Cup 2019 betting could break turnover records. Betting will be promoted through Cheltenham Gold Cup betting offers. Horses running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup are the best jumpers of fences. The Cheltenham Gold Cup history features many of the best horses and leading jockeys and trainers. In March Cheltenham Gold Cup betting in 2019 will involve the annual high level of bets and stakes but it could be the highest in recent years for Gold Cup betting. Who do you think will win the race and add to the Cheltenham Gold Cup history? My tip is Might Bite!